Update: Search continues off Coquina Beach for boy

Family members watch as the Coast Guard searches for Lamontea Taylor, 6, who was caught in a current while swimming with his cousins near Coquina Beach on Longboat Key.

By ELIZABETH JOHNSON

Emergency crews searched nearly four hours Saturday night in the area of Coquina Beach and north Longboat Key for 6-year-old Lamontea Taylor, who went missing while swimming with his cousins off the beach.

Manatee County EMS responded to a 911 call from a bystander at 6:37 p.m. regarding four children struggling in the water on the south end of Coquina Beach, said EMS Director Ron Koper.

Rescuers pulled family members Jerry Green, 6; Natalie Porter, 5; and Danaejah Edwards, 9, from the water just off the beach. Two were reportedly saved by emergency responders and one by a family member.

Two Coast Guard boats from the station in Cortez and a helicopter, as well as vessels from other agencies, continued the search for Lamontea, a kindergartner at Samoset Elementary in Bradenton, until about 10:45 p.m. Rescuers focused their efforts near the bridge connecting Coquina Beach and Longboat, but no sign of the boy was found. The search was to resume Sunday morning.

“We're working closely with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office,” Coast Guard Petty Ofc. Michael De Nyse said Saturday evening. “We're concentrating all efforts on the search and rescue.”

The children were swimming out of the area patrolled by lifeguards, Koper said.

“It's not a good place for swimming due to the current,” Koper said. “Now that the sun has gone down, the search is more difficult.”

Earlier in the evening Koper said the tide was coming in, raising hopes that the missing child would be carried toward land. But by 9 p.m. the tide reversed and the search continued for nearly two hours longer before being suspended.

Involved in the search were the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Manatee Marine Rescue, Longboat Key police and the Coast Guard.

The children's family had reportedly been at the beach since the afternoon. One family member said the adults thought the children were at a picnic table.

Instead, they had gone into the water just off the beach.

“We were all swimming and jumping over the waves,” said Danaejah Edwards. “Next thing you know the water pushed us down. We all started drowning and going in different directions.

“A man came and rescued me. I was crying. Natalie was floating in the water, looking like she was dead. I just want the people to help Lamontea.”

Red Cross volunteers responded to the scene, providing T-shirts and blankets for the family.

“It's a very frightening situation down there,” said spokeswoman Janet McGuire.